Before Halloween, I was shopping at a thrift store for pieces of my costume before a party. As I was sifting through the pants, a middle-aged woman burst through the doors and began screaming so loud that the entire store could hear. She pointed at a poor woman who was checking out items and accused her of stealing her clothing.

Apparently, the woman had left a blue striped blouse and a pair of pants hanging off the side of a shopping cart before she left the store for a few hours. She didn’t ask the cashiers to hold her items, so they were up for grabs at that point. After wagging her finger in the poor customer’s face and trying to take the clothes by force, the woman decided to harass an employee about it.

Woman: “THOSE WERE MINE! I CLAIMED THEM AND SHE STOLE THEM! GIVE THEM BACK!”

When the employee told her that she couldn’t claim the clothes if she left the store without paying, she began to stomp around and went ballistic. I happened to be looking her way, and being the first person she saw, the woman decided to harass me.

Woman: “ARE YOU SEEING THIS? MAKE HER GIVE THEM BACK! STOP WORKING AND GET MY CLOTHING BACK!”

I calmly told her that I wasn’t an employee, but she didn’t stop.

Woman: “YOU CAN STOP THE THIEF AND YOU’RE STANDING THERE? I WILL CALL THE COPS IF YOU DON’T TAKE MY CLOTHES BACK! DO YOUR JOB!”

The lady checking out the “stolen clothing” yelled:

Cashier: “She doesn’t work here!”

At that point, the store manager told the woman that she needed to leave the store immediately as she was causing a disturbance. The woman was resistant but eventually left after having a conversation with the manager. The employees apologized to me about the incident.

At least I got the pants.

I own my own little corner shop. A grumpy old customer comes in to buy cigarettes, and when it’s time to pay, he flings his coins at me instead of handing them to me. I am forced to pick some coins up off the floor.

Customer: “That’s it, [South Asian slur]. On the ground where you belong.”

Me: “Don’t worry, sir. Considering how many of these you’re smoking and how terribly old you look, you’ll be in the ground while I’ll be on it for a long while yet. I’ll even do a little Bollywood dance on your grave.”

Customer: “How dare you!”

Me: “Goodbye, die soon!”

He stormed out as I turned up the Indian music on my radio.

This story is part of our Best Of June 2021 roundup!

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I am the assistant manager at an Indian cuisine restaurant, and due to staffing shenanigans unrelated to this story, I’m left with three newbies, two coworkers, and some kitchen staff.

One of the newbies I shall dub [Troublemaker]. [Troublemaker], [Newbie #1], [Coworker #1], and I are on the schedule one night.

[Newbie #1] has a look in her eye that I don’t like, and I ask her what’s wrong. She takes me aside for a few moments as we are setting up the bar and tells me some unsettling things about [Troublemaker].

[Newbie #2] is apparently a sweet girl, hadn’t worked much in a restaurant before, and is learning quickly. It was her second night and [Troublemaker]’s first. She was following [Newbie #1] around, helping her with tables, when [Troublemaker] manifested in front of her and screamed at her.

Troublemaker: “YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE TABLES! YOU’RE POSSIBLY THE STUPIDEST PERSON I’VE EVER ENCOUNTERED!”

[Newbie #1] and [Newbie #2] were stunned, and [Newbie 2] was quiet for the rest of the night. I had the day off, unfortunately; otherwise, I would have taken care of that pretty quickly. [Newbie #1] felt that if [Newbie #2] came back, it would be a freaking miracle.

Newbie #1: “[Troublemaker] has been rude to me personally and to our customers, and I know for a fact that he is going to be rude to you.”

Me: “Thanks for the heads-up. If he’s rude, I’ll handle it.”

Forewarned, I don my metaphorical brass knuckles and prepare for war. Dinner shift is when the brown stuff meets the fan.

It is slow at first, and we have a reservation for eight at 6:00 pm. I casually ask [Troublemaker] if he would like to take them, since [Newbie #1] and I already have a table.

Troublemaker: *Snapping* “I already have a section!”

He waves at his section, which is completely empty. He has been basically doing next to nothing around for about an hour, other than straightening things and giving people malevolent looks.

Me: “Well, then, since you clearly have nothing to do, kindly roll some silverware, as we’ve run out.”

Troublemaker: *Loud and angry* “YOU DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”

Me: *Calmly* “Oh, but I do. I’m the assistant manager, and you have been here for two days. I give the orders here. You don’t. Roll the silverware.”

I walk away. He is absolutely fuming, and of course, he doesn’t do as I asked. That is just the beginning.

As soon as we start getting busy, I send customers into [Troublemaker]’s section. Things eventually slow down again. I notice that [Troublemaker] hasn’t been bussing tables, so his section looks awful.

Me: “[Troublemaker], bus your tables.”

Troublemaker: *Screaming* “You don’t tell me what to do!”

That’s it. I’ve had it.

Me: “BUS YOUR TABLES, [TROUBLEMAKER]! WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL THAT YOU FEEL YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BUS?!”

[Troublemaker] looks amazed but still wants to argue.

Troublemaker: “You don’t tell—”

Me: “BUS. YOUR. TABLES.”

Troublemaker: “You’re just a woman!”

I narrow my eyes dangerously at him.

Me: “BUS YOUR TABLES OR GO HOME!”

I then go for a cigarette. When I come back, he has pulled [Coworker #1] and one of the kitchen staff aside and is talking at them in Hindi while pointing at me.

I am not about to put up with him hiding behind his language. I approach them and stand squarely in front of them.

Me: “Hi.”

[Troublemaker] switches to English.

Troublemaker: “She needs to be fired!”

Unfortunately for [Troublemaker], he doesn’t know the history of our restaurant. I’ve stuck through thick and thin with the restaurant and was basically the reason why the restaurant lifted out of a slump that would have destroyed the business. If the General Manager fired me, the restaurant would crash and burn, and he knows it. Plus, he is the rare manager who really values employees for more than just the warm bodies filling a spot.

Coworker #1: “She’s not going to be fired. Do what she tells you, or you’ll be the one who gets fired.”

Me: “[Troublemaker], I don’t know what you’re used to, but here, you take orders from me.”

[Troublemaker] tries to interrupt a few times but I cut him off.

Me: “No. You take orders from me. NO, [Troublemaker]. Be quiet. I am talking. This is not negotiable. If you can’t handle taking orders from anyone, or worse, can’t take orders from a woman, we can let you go to find a new job. Your choice.”

Troublemaker: “You need to learn your place. You have no business giving orders to a man!”

I smiled at him like a shark, and at the end of the shift, I typed up a long, detailed email to the General Manager.

[Troublemaker] was gone before he had even worked a full week, and apparently, the loss of his job was also a loss of his ability to even stay in the country.

I made a phone call to [Newbie #2], letting her know [Troublemaker] was gone and she would never have to deal with him again. She thanked me, and after some gentle encouragement on my part, she agreed to continue working with us. 

Staffing this place is going to be a challenge.

I’m twelve and in the seventh grade. I’m deaf and wear hearing aids. My science teacher is out sick, and we have a substitute. I’m sitting at the front of the class.

The substitute approaches me.

Substitute: “[My Name], headphones aren’t permitted during school.”

Me: *Confused* “What? I don’t have headphones.”

Substitute: “You have them in right now!”

Me: “These are my hearing aids.”

Substitute: “TAKE. THEM. OUT.”

Me: “I can’t. I need them to hear.”

Substitute: “NOW!”

Me: “No.”

The substitute rips my hearing aids out and stomps them. I start crying, both from the pain of having my hearing aids wrenched from my ears and from anger. Another student stands up.

Classmate: “Those were his hearing aids, you motherf*****!”

Substitute: “Office. Now.”

The student went to the office and returned with the vice-principal in about five minutes. The whole class was yelling at the substitute, and I was sitting there bawling.

The vice-principal sent the substitute out, regained control of the class, and comforted me. At the end of the day, the substitute was fired, the district paid to get my $3,000 hearing aids replaced, and the student who stood up for me was awarded $5 at the student store.

This story is part of our Best Of June 2021 roundup!

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I am a security guard. With the outbreak, we have gotten A LOT of new companies and contracts, and there have been several stores that hire my company for “Mask Enforcement” — basically, refusing service for anyone who tries to walk in without a facial covering.

I’m working one of these new contracts for a home improvement shop. My job at this location is extremely simple and narrow. If I see someone walk in without a mask, I stand between them and the gate, inquire as to their lack of mask, and give them the option of purchasing a mask for less than fifty cents at the nearby customer service desk if they do not have one of their own.

For the most part, people are kind and understanding; many of them apologize, saying they forgot, quickly dig out a mask from a pocket or a purse, and go on about their way. One day, however, I meet [Customer].

I stop an elderly gentleman and ask if he has a mask. He laughs, pulls it out of his pocket saying he always forgets, puts it on, and walks through the turnstile. As I am having the conversation with him, in walks [Customer], staring me down, no mask, and almost runs into the elderly gentleman as she tries to rush past me.

I step in her way with a kind smile.

Me: “Hello, ma’am, do you have a mask today?”

Customer: “No, and I don’t need one, either!”

Me: “I am sorry, but the store policy states that everyone is required to wear a mask, if you need one you can get one over there—” *pointing to the customer service desk* “—for just forty-two cents.”

Customer: “I told you, I don’t need a mask. I just need a washing machine. Where are they?”

Me: “I don’t know where the washing machines are; however, I can’t let you past this point without a mask. Please either get one on or see the customer service desk to purchase one.”

Customer: “What do you mean, you don’t know where the washing machines are?! What kind of incompetent worker are you?”

Me: “I am not an employee of this store; I work for a third-party security company. I do not know the store, but you cannot go through these gates without a mask.”

During this time, the customer tries to walk around me multiple times. I keep stepping in front of her, keeping my hands low, and calmly repeating, “You need a mask.”

Customer: “You obviously work here! And I don’t like your attitude. Either tell me where I can get a washing machine or get the h*** out of my way!”

Me: “She—” *pointing to a customer service employee* “—will be more than able to help you find what you need, as well as sell you a mask so you can shop here.”

At this point, the employee realizes that something isn’t right; for the most part, as a guard, I smile and wave, pace, and don’t really interact with customers. So, when I am no longer smiling, standing still, and speaking with a customer, this usually means that something is going wrong.

Employee: “Hello! What can I do to help today?”

Me: “She is looking—”

Customer: “I want a washing machine and he refuses to tell me where they are. He just keeps getting in my way and telling me to wear a d*** mask!”

Employee: “I am sorry, but he does not work within the store. His job is just to enforce the mask rules. I would be more than happy to help. Do you have a mask today?”

Customer: “No, I don’t have a mask, and I’m not wearing one!”

She starts on some long-winded rant about HIPAA and civil rights.

Employee: “Well, ma’am, he won’t let you in without a mask, and unless you have one, I will be unable to assist you in getting the washing machine you want.”

Customer: “I’ve had enough! Get me your manager now!”

The employee then gets on her walkie and radios for a manager to come up.

Manager: “Hello, how are you doing today?”

Customer: “I’m doing horrible! Your employees are useless! They refuse to help me and won’t even let me in the store! I demand you fire them both!”

Manager: “I am sorry, but he—” *pointing to me* “—is not an employee here. We hired his company to enforce mask policies—”

Customer: “I’ve already told you people I won’t wear a f****** mask! Now fire these people and help me get my washing machine!”

She is escalating more and more and is getting very close to the manager, which triggers my training. Normally, I am not allowed to go hands-on; however, there is an exception when there is a significant threat of violence to me or employees of the company I am working at, and it’s starting to appear as if some violence may happen.

Me: “Ma’am, I am going to need you to calm down and please back away from the manager. We don’t want any physical contact.”

Customer: “I’m not talking to you. You’re about to be fired, anyway; you might as well go home already!”

Manager: “He’s not going to be fired; he’s doing his job. I would be more than happy to take you to our washing machines, but you need to get a mask first.”

There’s another five-minute argument, during which I am forced to stand between the manager and the customer as she is getting more and more aggressive. The manager takes this chance to motion for the customer service employee to call the police.

Manager: “At this point, I am going to have to ask you to leave. I won’t have you yelling at our security or refusing to follow our policies.”

Customer: *To my manager* “I’m not leaving until you fire this a**hole and I get my washing machine!” *To me* “And get out of my way! Don’t you know it’s rude to get between two people talking?!”

Manager: “He is doing his job making sure no violence happens. We have called the cops. Leave now!”

About five minutes later, the cops arrived. [Customer] was screaming that we had physically assaulted her and hit her when all she wanted to do was get a washing machine, and even after the police reviewed the camera footage, she held to her story. As they attempted to trespass her from the store, she swung at me and luckily missed. That, however, was enough for her to leave the store in handcuffs.

I’m not sure why she thought I was an employee. My uniform is grey and black with a bright red logo, and the store’s uniform is a lot of blues and greens. But all’s well that ends with an entitled customer in the back of a police car.

Related:
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 11
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 10
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 9
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 8
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 7